DISCERNING YOUR CONGREGATON’S FUTURE
PREFACE
Stop drifting and establish a direction.
Entire congregation in process.
Systematic, strategic planning is of immeasurable value.
Using Behavioral Sciences
Congregation needs to know the truth about itself before it can engage in a discernment process.
Begin with laying out the facts about the congregation objectively.
Find out what members value and what things concern them about their congregation.
Learn the congregation’s history.
Know where the system is hurting.
Bring and offer our best.
Interact with one another in open and supportive ways.
A Grassroots Vision
The process laid out here will be meaningful to congregations that have a high regard for the collective wisdom of their members, guided by God.
Plan to spend six to twelve months on this process.
Ask the whole congregation to be in active prayer for the congregation throughout this time.
INTRODUCTION
DISCERNMENT, THEOLOGY, AND PRAYER pviiii
Based on the premise…in a relationship with a God who is ever more ready to communicate with us than we are to listen. God is willing to offer us direction and perspective is and when we are ready to surrender our willfulness and be open.
Distinguish between messages from God and Messages that stem from our own willfulness, our ego, or even our shadow. The evil one will always appear to us first as an angel of light…we will see the easy way out as a message from God.
A THEOLOGY OF DISCERNMENT
Desire to do God’s will is a hallmark of the Christian faith.
No one person fully knows God’s will.
When we are faithful and open, God’s will is disclosed to us that we may follow.
Prayerful reflection and empathic sharing, we can let the Spirit move within us and among us to build a consensus about what is the will of God.
Trust the Holy Spirit will lead.
THE PROPEHTIC VOICE AND DISCERNMENT
Corporate discernment is more reliable than individual discernment.
PRAYER AND DISCERNMENT
Means to “sift through”.
We pray in order to become open to God.
What follows prayer is a genuine listening to one another.
Our focus will not be on doing the rational, prudent thing but rather on doing the faithful thing.
Encourage as many people as possible to enter into a time of prayer and fasting. – a clear signal (An opportunity to teach this ancient spiritual discipline.)
Appendix A = guidelines for fasting.
NEW PRAYER FORMS
Prayer forms that invite us to listen to God = Apophatic = open to experiencing the presence of God and to perceiving God’s will for them. (contemplative/meditation)
5-20 minutes = remain quiet and pay attention.
Phrase or simple change can be an aid = Reminds us of God and helps to stay focused. ( a simple refrain sung over and over).
Following comes a brief period of silence, people can be paired and share thoughts.
An adult seminar on contemplative prayer can be a helpful prelude to discernment process.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DISCERNMENT
Some sound biblical and theological reflection may be needed before the practice is explored.
Requires that people understand the church is called to be an effective “servant church”.
Involves thinking/praying/assessing through alternatives.
Takes time and cannot be hurried.
CHAPTER ONE –Before You Begin p.1
Nothing more potent than a group with a common vision. It can transform a community.
Vision of what the congregation might be when it grows.
THE FRAMEWORK
Helping the congregation develop a common vision through a spiritual discernment process.
Best plan is developed by it’s own members.
Basic spiritual issues (p 3) addressed with compassion to be a faithful and effective community of faith.
SIZE OF CONGREGATION
Importance cannot be underestimated.
Each chapter addresses: What, Why and How.
Adapt the philosophy of each chapter to each situation.
Plan to be creative and be confident.
PREPARE THE CONGREGATION p4
Prelude = congregation needs to learn about the nature and process of discernment.
Series of sermons on individual and ‘corporate’ discernment or six-week seminar.
At same time governing board in time of prayerful listening about the readiness of congregation
Whole process calls for four congregationwide meetings over 6-12 months.
Is a major shift in direction, entire congregation expected to pray over this period.
Should be excitement and anticipation.
This process can radically change decision making process.
TRANSFORMING YOUR BOARD p5
Actions at the heart of board meetings = sing, pray, make confession, receive absolution, silence for discernment = experience of spiritual renew = feeling lasts after meetings.
DEFINING DISCERNMENT
Is not consensus decision making, a political process, logical, rational, ordered.
IS to try to see from God’s perspective, uncovering the decision-not making it.
COMMENDATIONS FOR CONGREGATIONS p7
Be selective in number of issues, not more than one per meeting.
Begin with corporate and self-surrender. Gather information. Silence for prayer and deep listening. Agree on common prayer.
Cultivate members that may have special gifts of ‘distinguishing among spirits’.
YOUR OWN DISCERNMENT
Discern your own sense about why this is needed, your motivations, why it might be beneficial to congregation .
What indicators do you see that congregation is ready?
God calling you?
Can you sell the congregation on the need?
THE METHOD p9
Be in prayer about the best options for the congregation readiness.
Core of the process in this book: p9
Designs, instruments, exercises, activities, etc in this book.
No set formula
WHOLE CONGREGATION EVENTS
Need participation of as many as possible.
SPIRITUAL REFLECTION
This is a spiritual activity and not another planning process.
Begin every meeting with centering.
Do not skip personal growth time = transition from daily life to spiritual business.
Entire process must be spiritually uplifting to everyone.
TEAM BUILDING
People must connect as human community first.
10-15 minutes for people to share hi and lo points of day. [maybe refreshments first]
CLOSING CRITIQUE
5-10 minutes of reflection about how they worked together.
Quality of meetings rises in direct proportion to the time spent on this.
Results in shorter yet better meetings.
WORDS OF CAUTION
Page 12
Difficult to agree on goals.
Tend to be self-serving in older churches.
Must involve as many as possible.
Some people might leave.
Anxiety and tough challenges.
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
This process has opportunity for heavy involvement from many.
The more involved, the more the congregation feels ownership.
Dialogical process, years of study, preaching and prayer pays off.
Through steady spiritual nurture = common understanding of being faithful…in body of Christ.
CLIMATE
Good feelings toward each other, friendly and welcoming to outsiders, connecting on a human level. (coffee hours after services, potluck dinners J, )
Reason for teaching conflict-resolution
Can never do enough work on climate
LOGIC = a common understanding of what it means to be a faithful member. To what extent are members grounded in faith. Take people looking to be served and turn them into servants of God.
VISION = common understanding of where God wants us to go in the future.
This process helps to develop a consensus about six to eight broad goals = next four years.
Climate is the place to start.
GETTING STARTED
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN
Choose a facilitator p19
Select task force.
Conduct retreat.
WHY IT SHOULD HAPPEN
Facilitator is needed to spearhead process
Task force is needed to carry out process and can have an energizing effect on congregation.
HOW IT MIGHT HAPPEN
Facilitator = lay or professional, or both p 20
Task Force = not to do planning and goal setting but to process and distill information gathered from the congregation – size 5-9 people – represent a cross-section of congregation - potential members interviewed and process explained to them. Sunset law p23
HOLD AN OPENING RETREAT
The board and task force
Overnight retreat
Purpose = Orient to process, explore fundamental theories of congregational life, explore goals to move congregation
Agenda, appendix A, three ring binders, label each binder
Rough Agenda = gather, eat and relax, pray (centering), work, worship p24
Trust building, working with scripture,
Review objectives, theory on congregation size p28 and append D,
Review Congregation Health Inventory – append. B
Review Polarity Theory p32
MINISTRY ASSESSMENT
Congregation needs to see its strengths and weaknesses in order to build and grow. P46
WORK TOGETHER p51 – Introducing the Home Meetings ( how to, objectives, design, )
OTHER TRAINING ISSUES P 57
Promotion p 58
Collating and Distilling the data p 59
Working with Scripture, Work Together, Setting Goals,
AN EVENING OF HISTORICAL REFLECTION p 65
How, what, why, meaning statements,
iNTERIM GOAL STATEMENTS
an evening of norm identification ( see appendix E)
Does the way we live our life together reflect what we claim about ourselves? P76
How = in conjunction with dinner or ice cream social, etc.
INTERVIEWING KEY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY
What, Why and How.
PRIORITIZING GOALS
Fasting beforehand (append. A, (ACTS 15) Good opportunity to teach this, conduct orientation meeting.
An alternate process.
THE CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
DEVELOPING A MISSION STATEMENT